My Blog List

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

I WAS LIKE AN EXPECTANT MOTHER.

Several weeks ago I set up my new stock tank water garden on a small bare patch of gravel tucked behind the potting shed. It is one way to keep the weeds out of this area! Measuring 4'x 2' it was a perfect fit.


In front of the tank you can see what I call my weeds! Feather grass, blanket flowers, mealy blue sage and cornflowers. Pretty now but starting to get a little annoying. They won't be there for much longer.

Nymphaea 'Pygmaea Helvola'
My friend Pam Penick, who has written tutorials on how to set up and care for such a tank was dividing her pond plants a few weeks ago. She generously passed on to me divisions of dwarf papyrus, Helvola, Colorado water lily and Crinum. I added some oxygenating plants from the nursery and Parrot's feather from Ally, of Garden Ally,  who has a lovely koi pond.
Things have been slow to get moving until recently. More lily pads each day and then a few days ago I spotted a bloom bud below the water. You can't beat something like this for getting me excited. I watched, I waited. Just this morning I was convinced it would not be today.

Colorado lily
This morning no sign, then after lunch I was busy filling the watering can at the rain barrel in that corner. When I turned around and saw it I exclaimed out loud and rushed inside to get my camera to record my first bloom. The wait was over and I had my new baby! Thank you Pam.


The water is rather murky with algae and string algae but I am told it will take some time for the pond to settle down and become clear. I can't see if there are any more down there and with all those tiny Helvola leaves surely my next surprise will be their blooms.

7 comments:

  1. There is something so serene about water lilies in bloom. Thanks for sharing your first baby! May you have many (many) more!

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a beautiful first water lily flower! Congratulations! I wish my "weeds" looked as good as yours!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Beautiful! Makes me want to make a pond. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Congratulations on your beautiful water lily. I would personally kill to have weeds as lovely as yours!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Wow! I have pond-envy. Pam's stock tank 'how-to' is my favorite of all her posts. Will be fun to see how it develops.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Absolutely dreamy ! You have magic green thumbs and magic photography too.
    I will dream about your "weeds" this night...
    Vera
    ilghepardo.wordpress.com

    ReplyDelete
  7. You are very welcome, Jenny! There's nothing like that first jewel-like water lily, is there? And 'Colorado' is definitely an early bird for me too -- much earlier than 'Helvola'. As you discovered, the buds open when the sun warms them and close as the shadows fall.

    ReplyDelete

I love your comments unless they are spam comments which will always be removed in comment moderation.